


In This Together

by LamaraLily



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Android!Gabe, Android!Lena, Clueless Androids, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Jesse and Hanzo Don't Have Prosthetics, M/M, Mechanic McCree, Omnics Don't Exist, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Passengers AU, Sleeping Genji, Slow Burn, Spoilers for Passengers, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:13:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9150217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamaraLily/pseuds/LamaraLily
Summary: Jesse McCree had boarded the Overwatch knowing he would wake up in 120 years on a new planet to start a new life. However, something has gone wrong and he has woken up 90 years too early. Without hope and without a plan, the cowboy desperately wakes up a beautiful man that unknowingly saves his life.With nothing but time and space, both Jesse and his Japanese companion grow closer than either ever thought was possible.(You don't need to have seen Passengers to understand this story, it is just heavily based on the concept)





	1. Alone?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I just saw passengers yesterday and I couldn't help but write out an entire AU for McHanzo. This is a pretty boring first chapter but things will start getting better now that everything is introduced!  
>   
> I am a little rusty at writing and this is unbeta'd so I apologize beforehand for any mistakes.
> 
> Also Mccree is going through some real shit, he will be more Mccreeish next chapter. ;)

~~~

The large ship ambled on slowly and steadily through the stars. Giant rounded corridors rotated slowly around the ship, making the illusion of some kind of large gyro being spun. A large engine pulsed bright blue as it labored on, keeping the ship moving towards its destination.

The large ship housed 5,000 passengers and 283 crewmembers, yet not one human could be found on the darkened decks of the ship. Thirty years had passed as the lonely ship stayed determined on its long journey in the stars. A rounded shield glowed fiery orange at its nose, keeping _The Overwatch_ safe from any debris it encountered along the way.

Loud crackling came from the small rocks encountering the shield. A large asteroid field stood in the giant’s way. Popping and crackling emitted from each large chunk of rock being burnt to ash in seconds from the high-energy field.

 _The Overwatch_ was built to be perfect, nothing escaped the minds of those who had built the indestructible ship meant to carry thousands through the large expanse of space. However, much like history’s long forgotten _Titanic,_ nothing built to perfection ever was truly so.

A red alert popped up in the middle console found in the empty crew deck. A chunk of asteroid larger than most was in the direct path of the moving ship. Autopilot did a diagnostic with calculations and algorithms to find the right action to make. Machines do not think as humans do; only concerned with getting to Homestead II and not diverting from its path rather than worry about unnecessary risks and safety.

Autopilot immediately redirected the power of the ship to the front shield. Enough energy should burn the large rock much like the smaller rocks _The Overwatch_ had handled so far. No one held bated breaths as the ship neared the moon sized rock; only the thrum of engines and the click of machines filled the empty silence.

Bright red and orange fire exploded from the asteroid as the energy shield made contact. It did not dissipate immediately like the other rocks the shield had previously encountered. Seconds passed as the rock was burned to a much smaller size, yet the ship moved forwards unaware the asteroid had not been completely demolished.

The force of the ship moving forward and the asteroid traveling in the opposite direction caused the rock to shatter in a bright burst of light and fire. Chunks of small debris pummeled _The Overwatch_ , but it continued onwards into the stars.

The console where only one red alert had shown suddenly had four more pop up. Three systems in the engineering bay had begun to malfunction along with one hibernation pod 8214. The dialog alerts immediately disappeared as they had come. _The Overwatch_ continued to lumber towards its destination unaware that it was not as alone as it once was.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Lights in the passenger bay flicked on automatically as systems prepared for the awakening process. Loud clicking was heard and the resident that could once be seen through the glass of Pod 8214 was bathed in opaque, white steam. The warm steam was quickly ventilated away as respiratory systems came online.

The figure remained deathly still as immune injectors prepared to insert themselves into the tanned flesh.

 

Thud

 

The resident’s chest jumped into the air as the two white, lighted electrodes shocked his heart back into a rhythm faster than the hibernating speed it had been beating while he slept. He let out a gasp as he started breathing again, the subtle move of barely needed lungs thrown out for his body’s automatic need for oxygen.

The immune injectors finally pressed themselves into skin now that blood was pumping at a rate to bring the fluid through his body. Eyes were still closed as the pod began its final preparations for waking its resident. The pod shifted into an upward angle to help the waking process.

“Good Morning Jesse. You can wake up now.” A beautiful holographic woman appeared on the glass door of the pod. Her dark skin and long black hair shown with unnatural light while on top of her head sat a blue headset that held a blue-gemmed bindi that dangled in the middle of her forehead.

“Jesse? Jesse can you hear me? You are safe and can wake up now.” The resident of the pod finally began to stir, amber brown eyes opened slowly before blinking into focus on the holographic woman before him. He immediately began to panic at waking up in an unfamiliar, cramped space.

“Do not struggle Jesse. You are Jesse J. McCree and you are currently on the corporation Vishkar’s migrating ship _The Overwatch._ Our destination is Homestead II where you will begin a new life.” A sigh of relief escaped the man as memories resurfaced. That was right. He was Jesse McCree: gunslinger, engineer, mechanic, and ex-con. Last he remembered he was being given a chance at a new life on a planet far from the shithole he’d called home due to his mechanical skills he possessed.

“That’s right. I ‘member now.” Jesse’s voice cracked with disuse but the woman didn’t seem to mind, only shooting him a small smile.

“That is very good Jesse.” The Pod began to move on unseen tracks towards the other end of the room as the woman in front of him droned on. “You have been asleep for 120 years. You are waking up three months prior to reaching Homestead II so you can enjoy all the joy space life has to offer before reaching our destination. The metal band on your wrist is your ID band. This will allow you to access all of the commodities of the ship.”

The pod arrived in a large glass containment unit that looked like it could fit at least five other pods in it.

“I am completing your final physical now.” Jesse found his eyes closing as the woman had stopped talking to complete whatever tests needed to be done. A ding echoed through the pod.

“Physical exam finished. You are completely healthy and ready to be discharged onto the ship.” The glass door opened with a soft click and a whooshing sound. Bars on either side of the pod helped his first shaky steps out onto solid ground. He felt his strength returning rather quickly for how long he had been asleep.

“Follow this corridor outside and immediately take the elevator to the first housing deck.” The woman’s voice followed him through the hallway as he made his way over to the elevator. He sat down on the bench provided while still taking in everything.

“Please buckle up and stow all items.” A loud male voice blasted over the intercom. Jesse mentally rolled his eyes and gave a small huff of laughter at the safety precautions. How bad could an elevator be?

The elevator’s doors closed and it shot up into the air. Jesse immediately found himself gripping the seat for dear life as his body floated in the air with the gravity loss. He let out an undignified squack. Maybe he had made a mistake judging the safety procedures.

“You have arrived at Housing Deck A. We hope you have enjoyed your ride.” It must have been his imagination because Jesse could swear the male voice sounded more smug than it had when he had first come on.

“Damn machines already makin’ fun of me.” His southern accent rolled off his tongue as he finally found his voice to mutter under his breath as he left the elevator. The housing deck was completely dark other than a few emergency lights. As he moved forward lights began to flood the area.

“Please make your way to your cabin. Your door should be highlighted in blue for your convenience.” The same woman’s voice filtered over the speaker system. He traveled down the hallway and found his door on the left.

“Swipe your ID band at this time. This will allow you to enter your cabin.”

Jesse looked briefly at the thin metal wrapped around his left wrist before swiping it across the front of his cabin door.

 

“Welcome Jesse McCree.” Yet again the woman’s voice filtered through the speakers in his room. He was getting to the point where he was beginning to think if he heard his full name one more time he was going to lose it.

“Please check to make sure your luggage has been successfully brought to your cabin and confirm by swiping your ID.” The woman’s face had reappeared on a small control screen attached to one of the walls of the cabin.

His room was small yet comfortable. It was very minimal in what was accessible currently, he could only assume the bed, toilet, and other necessities folded out of the slots he could make out in different places in the walls. The control panel, a small desk with a lamp, a clock on the opposite wall, and a small sink were the only furnishings currently in eyesight in the room. There was also a tiny square window on one wall that he could just barely make out stars zipping by.

“Mr. McCree. Please check to see if your luggage has been successfully delivered and scan your ID to confirm.” The woman sounded more cross than she had before. He had been spacing out looking around his room and had completely ignored the wall sliding up near the door to reveal his two bags he had packed. 

“Sorry ma’am.” He uttered as he swiped his ID over the control panel. He felt himself sway on his feet as dizziness hit him.

“Confirmed. Thank you Jesse. Enjoy your stay on _The Overwatch._ You will be required to take classes with others of your trade to learn the basics of re-colonization and what tasks you will be responsible for. Please report to classroom D37 for engineers at 1400 hours today. Also please remember to drink lots of fluid to combat the effects of coming out of hibernation!” Her face disappeared leaving only a floating Vishkar symbol 

A panel flipped around like one of those old-fashioned trap walls to show a fluid dispenser already dispensing light, almost clear pink liquid into a glass. Jesse drank the glass quickly, already finding the dizziness abating 

He glanced at the clock to find he had about two hours to prepare for the class he was suppose to attend. Looking down at himself for the first time he found himself in a tight white tank top and snug white shorts that went about mid-thigh. There was definitely enough time to get something decent to wear on.

 

Unpacking was relatively easy. He hadn’t had much to pack so there wasn’t much to unpack. Peacekeeper was safe in her case and his beloved hat sat on top of her. After dressing into his usual wear he looked at himself in the mirror.

Dark brown hair that hung to the length of his jaw looked wild despite trying to comb it into something decent. His beard had never been neat, yet it looked kept while framing his strong jawline.

Thick brows sat above his eyes that weren’t entirely brown, shots of amber ran through the dark irises making his stated eye color hazel. Whether they appeared more brown or amber depended on the colors he wore. Red always tended to make the brown come out and most people were never close enough to see the amber running through his eyes.

His reflection gave a slight frown as he took in the dark plaid shirt and jeans fitted with his red serape. Jesse shrugged out of the serape and slung it over his shoulder like most men in fashion magazines did with jackets. Maybe it was time to change his look up for his new life? Most of his acquaintances back on Earth made fun of his wannabe cowboy appearance, but he usually just told them to shove it.

He shook his head and threw the serape back on and looked his reflection deep in the eyes.

“Ya’ve got a sexy serape and ya might as well ain’t hide it McCree.” He jabbed his finger against his reflection’s chest, instilling those words of confidence. Jesse wasn’t a bad looking man; not a good-looking one but he definitely wouldn’t consider himself ugly.

“Ya a handsome, ruggish devil.” He threw finger guns in greeting to his reflection while giving himself a wink. It was uncommon for Jesse to stew over his appearance but since he was trying to make a new life and all, he might as well make it count.

The clock chimed a warning that he had fifteen minutes until his class started. Jesse reached out to grab Peacekeeper automatically before remembering the stipulation that allowed him to bring her in the first place. She was not to be on his person through the duration of the trip. Once on Homestead II she would be fitted with a device to track where she went and also the bullets shot from her. Most likely trying to limit weapon violence on the new colony he assumed.

 

Traveling through the sleek corridors was quieter than he assumed it would be. He expected the hustle and bustle of people settling into their cabins and acquainting themselves with the layout of the ship. The only sound that accompanies his journey was the soft click of his spurs with every step. They had never sounded so loud in his entire life.

One elevator ride (where Jesse had actually buckled in) and three darkened corridors that lit with his movement brought him to the room labeled “D37.” The room was filled with white benches that sat in front of an illuminated platform he assumed would host the teacher.

He had barely walked into the room when the same woman that had walked him through waking up appeared on the platform in full form rather than simply a face as he was used to. She appeared to be wearing some kind of cerulean blue dress with white cybernetics attached to an arm.

The hologram smiled around the room as if she did not notice that Jesse was the only one present.

“Good afternoon class D37 of the engineering sector. I am Satya Vaswani and I will be your instructor on the reconditioning process of our re-colonization on Homestead II.” She lifted the palm of her cybernetic arm up and a hologram of the planet appeared in front of her person 

“You have been assigned to this group based on the mechanical and technical skills that you have acquired through your life on Earth…” Jesse stopped listening as he confusedly looked around the empty room. There should be others here shouldn’t there? He lifted his arm to catch the woman’s attention.

“Umm… Ma’am I’m the only one here, I – ”

“Please hold your questions until the end.” Jesse put his arm down as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. That woman’s gaze could make anyone and their mother feel like a child being shamed.

“O’ course.” He muttered as Satya continued with her information. To his confusion she continued to look around the room as if she was talking to a crowd and not just the lone cowboy. She finally finished her rant and asked for questions or concerns.

“Ma’am.” Yet again Jesse raised his hand for her attention. At her nod he continued. “How many people are s’ppose to be in this class?”

“D37 hosts 28 men and woman.”

“But ma’am, I’m the only one here.” Jesse frowned as the hologram continued to smile and blink like there was nothing wrong.

“Twenty-eight people were chosen for this class specifically to be taught the mechanics of home-building and garden working.” Her smile did not falter as she looked at Jesse.

Something clicked in his mind and he could feel a cold sweat start down his back as his breath caught in his throat. Satya started talking about tools as he sprinted out of the room.

 

“Hello!?” He yelled down the empty corridor hearing his voice echo down the hall.

 

“Anyone?!”

“Hello!?!”

“Can anyone here me?!”

“Please! I need help!”

 

His calls became more desperate as he sprinted through more and more darkened hallways that lit with light as he moved through them. Jesse blindly stumbled into an open elevator and sat down on the bench without pushing any buttons 

“Calm yerself McCree.” He tried to take deep breaths as he set his head between his knees. He was overreacting, he had to be. After calm began to resettle into his bones he looked at the areas he could travel. One button that caught his eye was labeled “Main Lobby.” After buckling himself in he pushed the button.

“Maybe they’re all gatherin’ there for some big shindig…” He continued to tell himself this as the elevator moved swiftly towards his destination. His mind would not allow him to think the other oppressive thought that had begun to seep into his mind.

The elevator stopped and he closed his eyes tightly as he heard the doors swing open. “Welcome to the Main Lobby.” A mechanical voice greeted him as he felt his way through the doors. He opened his eyes slowly despite beginning to know the sight. No human voices could be heard, no rabble of many feet or yelling of crew-members.

A shaky breath left him as he opened his eyes to be graced with the large, empty space. The open area had to be larger than two football fields. Housing decks littered the sides of the area as they went up to five stories. A fountain seemed to just have turned on the middle of the lobby, the water still starting to trickle out of different nozzles on the sides.

From his vantage point he could make out a cinema, pool, and different sport area signs further down the way. Yet with all its beauty and splendor he still didn’t see the one thing he wanted to: a human being.

He walked blindly through the area, not really paying attention to what he was seeing. A voice jumped him out of his ruminating thoughts.

“Hello! How may I be of assistance today _Overwatch_ passenger?” Jesse’s eyes filled with hope as he looked around only to find some kind of help kiosk next to him. He sighed in defeat before realizing this may be exactly what he needed.

“Uh, yes! Yes! I need help.” The swirling holographic globe held many icons associated with the different help it could provide. He didn’t waste time with searching. “I am awake but I can’t find anyone else. Where is ev’rybody?”

The swirling holographic globe chose an icon automatically and began displaying some kind of clipart photo in front of the cowboy.

“The ship houses 5,000 passengers and 283 crewmembers. This is the largest re-colonization ship ever sent out to a new planet before!”

“That doesn’t help me. Uh..” He paused to think of another question he can ask. “What is the wakin’ process in the pods?”

“All members of the ship went under hibernation for 130 years of the journey. The crew-members were set to wake up one month early to ensure the ship was ready for the passengers.” Bingo.

“Where is the crew located?” The blue image shifted to one of the floor plans of the ship, zooming on to the areas it was talking about.

“The crew is located on the flying deck of _The Overwatch._ The crew was put into hibernation pods on bay 3 to ensure they were close to the flying deck when they awoke.” The crew had to be awake, he must have just woken up before the rest of the passengers for some odd reason.

“Thanks.” He was turning away from the kiosk when the image changed to one of a blue smiley-face.

“I’m happy to have assisted you today.” The blue orb disappeared back into the kiosk as Jesse headed back to the elevator to go to bay 3. Fingers drummed an unsteady rhythm on his legs as he waited impatiently to arrive to the crew quarters.

 

He ran through the corridors straight to the flight deck. He almost let out a cry of relief when he saw the large metal door at the end of the hall.

“I’m so glad to have found y’all, I was starting to think the worst.” He swiped his ID in front of the door.

“ID denied. Access not available to the user.”

He rapped a fist on the door and waited for an answer. His brows furrowed in irritation and he pounded on the door harder.

“Hello! I need some help please!” When no answer came he supported his weight on the door and lifted himself onto his tiptoes to try and see through the thin rectangle of glass near the top. Jesse could just barely reach even with his impressive height.

Darkness and low powered machines greeted his sight. “No…” He backed away from the door shaking his head. “No, no… no no no no no no…” He ran towards the area the kiosk had showed him where the crew was stationed in hibernation pods.

Fear coursed through his body as his shaky legs brought him to another large rounded door. This one appeared to have more safety components, as it seemed to be made of thicker metal and had many more bolts running along its sides.

“Please… no…” His breath was coming in quick pants as he looked through the small slip of glass again. Pods littered the sides of the room, their residents still seen sleeping through the glass.

 

Something broke in Jesse at that moment. He stumbled blindly through the ship taking elevators and corridors he’d never seen before. Tears blurred his vision threatening to fall as he found himself entering a large room that had a large pane of glass in its wall. If it wasn’t such a dire situation Jesse would be able to appreciate the beauty of the stars and dust swirling around the ship. The glass allowed you to feel like you were actually outside and enjoying the sight.

“Welcome to the observatory, what can I show you?”

“That this is a fuckin’ dream, that’s what…” His hands curled into fists as a deep anger filled the hopelessness.

“I do not understand. What can I show you?”

Jesse ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath trying to find his calm once again.

“Show me where we’re goin’.”

  
The room filled with a large hologram of the planet he recognized as Homestead II. The program zoomed onto its surface showing photos of the actual landmasses in the area.

“ _The Overwatch_ is heading to Homestead II, fourth planet in the Gibraltar system. Homestead II is much like the Earth in forms of greenery and H2O. Life forms that –”

  
Jesse cut the program off before it could continue on about Homestead II.

“Show me where we’re now travel-wise.”

The room’s hologram changed again to show the Earth on one end of the room and Homestead II on the other. An image of the ship appeared in between the two planets and a dotted line was underneath it connecting them together.

“The journey from the Earth to Homestead II takes 120 years, three months, and two days. The ship is currently 30 years out from the Earth with 90 years, three months, and fifteen days remaining in the voyage.”

Jesse collapsed onto the stairs in the room like a puppet cut from its strings. Tears ran down his face as his stared at his shaking hands in front of him. He woke up all right, 90 years too early it seemed.

Now he was alone on this God-forsaken ship with no plan.

~~~


	2. A New Hope?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse looks for a way to fix his predicament and finds a few new companions along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched Star Wars again yesterday which is partially why this chapter is named this. Oops. Thank you for all the comments and kudos - they keep me going. I'm so sorry if I didn't/don't reply (sometimes I get too happy and don't know what to say). 
> 
> Also: I know spacing is off but I wanted to post this before leaving today. I'll go back and fix it sometime later and also edit things so it reads smoother in places. Brief mentions of anxiety attack symptoms when he is trying to fall asleep - if you are sensitive on this issue, skip to the next ~ break.
> 
> As always: Un-beta'd so excuse my grammer.

~~~

 

Jesse woke up on the floor of the observation deck unsure of how much time had passed. He slowly sat up and rubbed the stiffness of dried tears off his face while trying to gather his thoughts. He took a deep breath, trying to not throw himself into another panic. He was Jesse fucking McCree and he was a fixer, he’d fix this... Somehow. With another deep breath he finally mustered up the strength to stand up and leave the observatory behind. He made his way back to his room to grab Peacekeeper now that it seemed he didn’t have to abide by the rules, it made him feel better just by having her in his hands. 

 

Jesse fiddled with Peacekeeper in his lap as he waited for the elevator to take him back to the Main Lobby. He figured that would be just as good a place as any to start problem solving. The familiar clicking of the spinning cylinder was helping keep him grounded. With one last spin to Peacekeeper, the doors opened to reveal the still empty lobby. He walked into the large area, scouring the signs for anything that looked like it could help him. His eyes were immediately drawn to a glowing yellow sign off onto his right, “Need to make a call?”

 

Perfect! Maybe if no one could help him on the ship, someone from Earth could. The door slid opened as he approached and he sat down at the large desk. An animated screen popped up into the air in front of him.

 

“Hello _Overwatch_ passenger. You may send a message to Earth through our system here aboard the ship. Messages to Earth tend to be expensive, do you wish to continue?” Jesse scoffed aloud, like he cared about price right now. He touched the option to continue and pressed Vishkar headquarters as the recipient.

 

“Uhh, hi… I’m uh, well” he took a quick breath to steel himself, “I’m Jesse McCree, a passenger here on the _Overwatch_ and I’m awake.” He shook his head knowing he sounded like an idiot. “I don’t mean th’ good kind of awake either. My hibernation pod seems to have malfunctioned somehow and I woke up way to early. I’m not s’posed to be awake for another 90 years. So if ya could help me out I’d be mighty grateful. Thanks.” The cowboy pressed send and the screen showed a visual of his message traveling to Earth.

 

“Thank you for using our message service, your message will arrive in eight years. Expected answer arrival is in fifteen years.” Jesse felt his heart drop. “That will be 5,000 credits.” He didn’t even hear the system finish the sentence before he was out the door rubbing his eyes in frustration.

 

“S’alright McCree, keep yer head on.” There had to be more options on this ship, he just had to keep looking. The sound of his spurs jingling filled the large, open space as he continued to wander further into the Main Lobby. He had found a basketball court, some kind of Japanese dance game room, a pool, a movie theater, countless restaurants, yet nothing that was going to help him out of this nightmare. He had almost lost hope when movement to his right caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks and took a few steps back to see two people behind a bar. He gave a few hard blinks but found the two still there, and not disappearing into his imagination. 

 

“Oh thank everythin’, I knew I couldn’t a’ been the only one awake!” Jesse found himself running over to the bar, his heart soaring in elation. “I knew them damn machines were lyin’ to me.” He shot a huge smile at the man and woman behind the bar, both cleaning glasses in their hands.

 

The woman was young, a chipper smile on her face while she shook her head slightly to move the unruly bangs that had fallen into her face from the short, spikey, brunette hair that adorned her head. The man had a small smirk on his face, much different from the beaming smile on the short woman next to him. The man’s dark brown hair was styled into a neat undercut, but his hair held a slight curl that gave him a hint of ruggedness, which matched the few faded scars that marred his dark skin of his face.

 

Both were wearing vest suits without the coat, sleeves rolled up on the dress shirt to allow cleaning without being hampered. The only thing different in their uniforms was the color of the vest they wore. The brunette wore a rustic orange while the man wore a plum purple, little bowties finished their pristine uniforms. To Jesse’s amusement, both bartenders had a small apron around their waist that definitely didn’t fit the guy’s rough appearance.

 

“Cheers, luv! The name’s Lena and this old bloke is Gabriel. How can we help you?” Lena’s smile never wavered as Jesse’s smile faltered. His gut feeling was telling him something wasn’t right about this. His eyes roved back to the perfect uniforms then to their hands still polishing the glasses. It was too perfect of an image; _they_ were too perfect of an image.

 

“Are either of ya human?” Jesse blurted out with a bit more force to his words than necessary. He could feel the frustration coming back tenfold. To his irritation, both bartenders chuckled.

 

“Sorry amigo. We’re both made of metal.” Gabriel made a move backwards and Jesse could see where the bottom of his legs should have been was metal with a wheel on the bottom that was attached to a track behind the bar. Jesse put his head on the counter in discouragement. He should never have got his hopes up at seeing other ‘people.’ He could hear the flutter of the androids’ movements but he didn’t care to lift his head.

 

He was startled out of his distressing thoughts at the sound of a glass being sat next to him. Jesse looked up to see Gabriel pouring a glass of whiskey. Lena had moved over further along the bar to fiddle with whatever was on the counter. Gabriel had a small smile on his face.

 

“You looked like a whiskey man.” Jesse didn’t say anything, rather just grabbed the glass and took a deep swig. He closed his eyes as he lost himself to the burn of the alcohol. He hummed in appreciation.

 

“Mighty fine swill ya got there partner.” The cowboy let out a sigh as he finished off the glass, his mind back to racing. He let out a little huff of air realizing he had two sources of information in front of him he had completely been ignoring. “Hey Gabriel. Ya don’t happen to know anythin’ technical about the ship do you? Like why I’m up right now?”

 

“Passengers of the _Overwatch_ are to wake up three months before arrival to Homestead II.” Gabriel was already back to polishing the glass that had been filled with whiskey only a few minutes prior.

 

“Well I know that, I woke up early. Think somethin’ was wrong with my hibernation pod.” Jesse’s hands went up to automatically remove the hat that he forgot wasn’t there.

 

Gabriel let out a short chuckle. “Hibernation pods don’t have malfunctions.” Jesse raised an eyebrow at the other man.

 

“Then why am I here, and where is ev’rybody else?”

 

It took a few moments before it seemed to register in the android. Gabriel’s face went completely blank and his eyes just stared out at Jesse. His head did a fast, tilting jolt to the side before coming back to rest normally and light filled his eyes again.

 

“I see…” It seemed to Jesse that Gabriel was polishing the glass slightly faster than before. Before the android could say anything else Lena zipped back over with a giggle on her lips.

 

“So it sounds like you and us are going to become pretty chipper acquaintances from the sounds of it.” She gave him a friendly wink and he couldn’t help but wonder if she also would malfunction if he brought up facts about his hibernation pod not working. Maybe this wasn’t something even written in their programing, which is why Gabriel seemed to be having problems with it. “So luv… it seems you’ve had some pretty shite luck…” Both androids looked a touch uncomfortable with the subject but at the moment he didn’t care.

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty much at a loss here…”

 

Lena gave him a sad smile and hesitated as if she were going to put her hand on his shoulder before deciding against it. “I wish we could be more of assistance to you…uh” A frown slipped on her face. “I don’t think we ever got your name luv.”

 

“The name’s Jesse McCree.”

 

“Well it’s brilliant to meet you Jesse, just wish it was under better circumstances of course.” Gabriel gave a small grunt in agreement. Lena was once again looking very uncomfortable and appeared to be at a loss to what to say to the cowboy.

 

“Well kid, looks like you’ve got some planning to do. If… what you said happened actually happened,” his head gave the glitched tilt again, “then I’m sure there is some protocol somewhere on the ship.” Kid? The android had called him a kid? Did androids even have an age? Did they have an age written in their code? Lena definitely looked younger than him… Jesse didn’t realize he had just been standing there looking blankly at Gabriel during his musings. A look of pure irritation was plastered on the android’s face.

 

“That’s normally a social cue to go.” Jesse was caught off guard by the abruptness of Gabriel’s words.

 

“Wha?”

 

Lena elbowed Gabriel in the side and gave him a pretty nasty look for such a friendly seeming android. She turned a smile back towards the cowboy.

 

“What this numpty was trying to say is you have more pressing matters than just standing here jabbering to us.” She let out a nervous chuckle as Gabriel shot her a glare. “We’ll always be here if you need some company luv. But you should go see about fixing…” she waved her hand in Jesse’s general direction, “that.”

 

Jesse caught on quickly, realizing this is probably the only way they thought they could be of assistance to him since it was obvious they couldn’t. He nodded slowly as he got up off his stool and swung himself to face the empty ship again. He hadn’t realized how lonely the large ship really was until talking with the two androids. They seemed so human, if only he could just forget about the wheels under their waists.

         “Don’t worry kid, you can always come back here for a drink if you like.” Gabriel’s voice rang out behind him as he departed from the bar. He couldn’t help but scoff a little at being called a kid.

 

~

 

Jesse had walked what felt like the entire ship. He couldn’t find any logs or procedures dealing with hibernation pod malfunctions. It seemed like the androids were right; he really was just a glitch in this huge ship’s system. 

The dimming of the lights aboard the ship was the only thing that alerted him to how many hours he had been scouring for answers. His eyes were burning and exhaustion was setting deep in his bones.

 

“Gettin’ some sleep might not be a bad idea McCree.” He muttered to himself as he shoved the maintenance panel he’d been looking at back into place. Two elevator rides later found Jesse trudging into his tiny cabin. He waved his wristband in front of the panel and pressed the option for the bed.

 

 Jesse busied himself with undressing and brushing his teeth. The man looking back at him in the mirror didn’t even seem like the man that had left the room earlier. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess from running his hands nervously through it all day. He splashed his face with cold water and took a deep breath before finishing up for bed.

 

A sigh escaped him as his back hit the hard, twin-size mattress. He couldn’t complain though, he’d slept in worse conditions back on Earth.

 

Anxiety was once again eating at the small amount of calmness he had put together, making sleep seem impossible. Too many “what ifs” were running through his mind for it to settle. What if there was nothing he could do? What if he’s stuck here until he dies alone of old age? What if he’s missed something he could have done? What if this was his punishment for being a shitty person? What if…

 

His mind finally slipped into a fitful slumber long into the night.

 

~

 

Jesse woke up drooling into his pillow when an alarm started blaring somewhere in the room. After a few random swipes of his wristband the sound blessedly went silent. He felt like he had been hit by a truck – his body ached and a headache was starting to make itself known. Both unfortunate consequences of only a few hours of sleep mounted on his stress. He groaned as he peeled himself out of bed and into the tiny shower. The warm water felt great on his muscles but kept trying to tug him back into sleep.

 

After a very long shower Jesse finally stood outside his room dressed and heading down to the cafeteria he had found the day before. Today he didn’t leave his hat behind, it sat perched on his head right where it belonged. He figured he didn’t have anyone to impress so he might as well be comfortable.

 

The cafeteria was needlessly large for only him and a few cleaning robots. White tables and chairs lined the room and at the center stood a large, round panel. He touched the screen and immediately went to the coffee option. A large cup of caffeine was definitely a must if he was going to work on figuring this mess out.

 

 Jesse pressed the triple shot espresso but nothing came out. Instead of being handed death in a cup, a frowning face popped up on screen.

 

“I’m sorry, this option is for Gold Members only.”

 

The cowboy rolled his eyes and swiped his wrist again.

 

“I’m sorry, this option is for Gold – “

 

He pressed a different option for coffee.

 

“I’m sorry this option –“

 

He could feel his irritation mounting as he pressed every option available for coffee. The mantra only got so far as “I’m sorry” before Jesse was pressing the next option on the menu. He finally hit his last option available on the menu labeled as a single cup of black coffee. A smiley face popped up on the screen and a cup swiveled out from the console.

 

 “Thank you and have a lovely day!”

 

         Jesse let out huff of air in irritation but tried to reign himself in. It was sort of like Earth, he was just a worker – figures that the expensive coffee would be for the elite on the ship. He immediately perked up as he eyed a mouthwatering omelet on the menu. He could live with shitty coffee just as long as he had good –

 

         “I’m sorry, this option is for –“

 

         “Ya gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me.”

 

 

 

 

         After going through the entire menu, Jesse found the only breakfast he was allowed was a bowl of oatmeal. He also found that juice was also a ‘Gold Member’ only option. He finished his unsatisfactory breakfast and headed back to his room.

 

While eating the bland newspaper, he had the realization that his status as a worker would give him tools and even access maintenance books (just shit for food). When he got back to his tiny room, he swiped his wristband against the panel and immediately requested assistance.

 

Satya’s stern face appeared on the panel. “Hello Mr. McCree. How may I be of assistance to you today.” She seemed irritated with the cowboy yet there was still a small smile on her face. He got the impression she was only seconds away from scolding him like a toddler.

 

“Uh, yeah. I need to know where t’ get my tools for class and all.”

 

“Of course. You will find your toolbox and necessary books in maintenance locker 3318 in the equipment bay. Your wristband will open the door. Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

 

“Nah, I’m good.”

 

“Vishkar thanks you for your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for more assistance.” Satya gave a brief smile before nodding her head and fading away. Great, he had a place to start and some hope.

 

~

 

Jesse managed to find the equipment bay without too much hassle. Inside his locker he found a lot more than just tools and maintenance books. There were blueprints for ship tech and even the ship itself. Manuals filled the small shelves, some for ship functions but most for future housing development. His eyes lit up as he saw a manual for the hibernation pods. He grabbed that, a toolbox, and the ship blueprint and headed to the bar for some reading and company.

 

~

 

         “Well, well. Looks like he’s a cowboy after all.” Gabriel had his arms crossed as Jesse approached the bar with his loot. Lena was once again giggling and had a hand up to cover her mouth as she looked at his ‘true form.’

 

         “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while ya can.” Jesse rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he slammed the manual on the bar. A wicked smile was on his face as he looked at the two curious androids. “Think I found my ticket t’ go back to sleep.”

 

         Gabriel was already pouring him a glass of whiskey and Lena seemed to have grabbed nuts from nowhere of and was pouring them into a bowl. She slid the bowl to sit by the large book.

 

         “You need to have something to snack on if you’re really going to read that whole thing here, luv.” Gabriel gave a curt nod in agreement as he handed Jesse the tumbler of amber liquid.

 

         “A congratulations is in order. To your future, kid.” Both Gabriel and Lena lifted empty glasses as if in a toast. Jesse clinked the rims of their glasses and took a gulp of the burning liquid. The androids lifted their glasses as if they were taking a drink as well. It was a nice gesture even if they couldn’t drink liquid like a human.

 

         “So now what’s this book all about cowboy?! Go on!” Lena was opening the manual on the counter and thrusting it towards Jesse. He let out a chuckle as he grabbed the book before it could fall.

 

         “Alright, y’all don’t have a pen and paper do ya?” Lena was moving about behind the counter, babbling on about equipment orders. Gabriel was just shaking his head with a soft smile on his face while watching her search.

        

         Jesse just let out a laugh and took another swig of his whiskey. Things were finally looking up.

 

~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed, the next update definitely won't take as long. This may feel rushed and I do apologize but I just want this out there.
> 
> *I know the android characters may seem strange since they are already so developed in their personalities. The reason I have this is because they have a written history and personality module that makes them act the way they do. This and android development will be explored next chapter! (I love Lena and Gabe as characters even if I can't write them too well :') You will see much more from them so hopefully you like them as well.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed!  
> [Spacing hurts me in archive :s]


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